The Omega Man (Blu-ray)
Directed by Boris Sagal
Studio: Warner Bros.
Year: 1971
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 1080p (VC-1 codec)
Running Time: 98 minutes
Rating: PG
Audio: Dolby Digital 1.0 English, French, Spanish, German, Italian
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Portuguese
MSRP: $28.99
Release Date: November 27, 2007
Review Date: December 28, 2007
The Film
3.5/5
Richard Matheson’s seminal science fiction classic I Am Legend got its second film version in 1971 as The Omega Man. An unusual premise mixing science fiction apocalypse with touches of the horror genre made the film something reasonably unique for its year of release. Audiences of the time, however, preferred the doomsday threat of The Andromeda Strain to The Omega Man, and the latter wasn’t particularly successful.
Charlton Heston (who else?) plays the stalwart hero, scientist Robert Neville, who is one of the few to survive the biological warfare that has wiped out a majority of life on earth in 1977. Of those who are still alive, most are either contaminated or already transitioning into an alternate existence, a type of nocturnal zombie intent on ruling the planet themselves. These mutants make it their duty to eliminate Neville, and they become especially obsessed with his annihilation once they realize that transfusions of his blood antibodies can ward off the effects of the germ warfare in the colonies of people who are infected but are still more human than zombie.
The Omega Man has some eerie, effective sequences. Especially creepy are the early scenes where Heston traverses a largely ghost town remnant of Los Angeles as he gets supplies for himself and finds ways to get through the long, lonely days. On one of these jaunts, he discovers Lisa (Rosalind Cash) and her small colony of survivors, welcome indeed for someone who had been maintaining his sanity by talking to a bust of Julius Caesar and taking potshots at the zombies with an arsenal of submachine guns and other firepower. The zombies have the numbers, of course, and manage to capture him setting up the second half of the film. Sadly, the movie’s momentum droops considerably in the second half as Heston and Cash fall for one another, and Heston begins an offensive that will get the survivor colony to safety so they can begin to rebuild humanity.
Boris Sagal did much of his directorial work in television, and despite the Panavision lensing, the movie has a made-for-TV feel about it. The dialogue is rather trite, the transformations into zombies seem arbitrary and inconsistent in terms of time span, and stunts and special effects seem below par. Heston plays his usual blustery everyman, Cash is saddled with lines that date the picture horribly, Eric Laneuville’s inexperience before the camera as the infected Richie is all too obvious, and Anthony Zerbe as the zombie chieftain walks through his part lessening greatly its potentially threatening impact. Only Paul Koslo as another of the survivors seems to make the most of his few important scenes.
The Omega Man has a fair share of action and some exciting moments, but its flat tone, inconsistent scripting (screenplay by John William and Joyce Corrington), and inescapably erratic direction lessen the film’s original and exciting premise.
Video Quality
3.5/5
The Panavision 2.40:1 aspect ratio is presented in a 1080p transfer using the VC-1 codec. Image quality is an up and down affair. Almost all of the scenes with Heston are sharp, dimensional, and free from blemishes (though there is one nighttime sequence in which dirt sparkles like glitter most disconcertingly taking the viewer completely out of the action). The image is sharp enough, for instance, to notice clearly Heston’s stunt double on the motorcycle and in some other driving sequences. Colors can be strong though blacks are mediocre, and some scenes have trouble with adequate shadow detail. The film has been divided into 30 chapters.
Audio Quality
2.5/5
The Dolby Digital 1.0 mono track, completely typical of its era, has limited fidelity (at 192 kbps, that’s no surprise) and is disappointing overall sounding rather flat and lifeless.
Special Features
2/5
There is a 4-minute introduction to the movie by screenwriter Joyce Corrington and co-stars Paul Koslo and Eric Laneuville. Surprisingly, it’s in 480i, a very poor decision leading into the 1080p film transfer itself.
“The Last Man Alive - The Omega Man” is a 9 ¾-minute vintage promotional featurette that has star Charlton Heston discussing with a prominent anthropologist the psychology of survivorism and also touring the film‘s sets. It’s also presented in 480i.
The original theatrical trailer runs 3 minutes and is presented in 480p.
In Conclusion
3/5 (not an average)
The Omega Man has some good action spread among a routine production and erratic performances. The Blu-ray release is likewise inconsistent in video quality and with limited audio as well. Fans of the original story or the star are the likely targets for this release.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
